Hair Lessons From 2009

Happy New Year Ladies (and Gents!!)

I strongly believe that life always has a lesson to teach. Even when it comes to hair! So here are my top 5 lessons learned throughout 2009:


1. Dry hair doesn't have to be that way

Although natural hair is inherently dry, it really doesn't have to be that way. If your natural hair always feels dry, you can do something about it. Don't just accept the dryness for what it is. The things I've found as key to retaining moisture are using water and sometype of oil to seal moisture in. My last post Sealing in Moisture outlines a method to lock in moisture into the strands. Give it a try.


2. Less is more

The more you manipulate your hair i.e. combing, styling etc this includes even the good stuff DC'ing, oiling etc... the more mechanical stress you load onto the hair the more likely it is to break. Of course to have healthy hair, you have to do some of these things. So find a happy medium to minimize physical stress to your hair.


3. Only do what works for you!

I can't stress this enough. I frequent forums and there are always new products that are all the rage, bandwagons to hop on, and certain beliefs that others try to force upon you. But you've got to remember that although hair is hair, it can differ between individuals. So sometimes products/ methods that work for some else might not work for you.

For goodness sakes, do not shampoo 2 times a week if it irritates your scalp and you know once a fortnight is sufficient! Don't DC 3 times a week if it leaves your hair mushy! If grease or Pink Lotion works for you, then so be it!! Find what works for YOU! It's great to try something you think might work for you, but don't stick with it if your hair doesn't like it. Do what allows YOUR hair to grow and be healthy.


4. Take control of your haircare journey!

I learned this during my bad weave saga. I haven't let anyone else touch my hair ever since and it's been thriving. If you're lucky enough to find someone who will do your hair but also listen to you if you want something done a specific way without catching an attitude, then hold on tight to them! These people are hard to find.

So many of the ladies on hairboards have also had setbacks with scissor happy stylists. I mean, walking into a salon with Mid Back Length (MBL) hair and coming out with shoulder length hair. Or asking a stylist to only cut ONE inch and they cut off THREE! Don't believe me? Just yesterday there was a post on LHFC about one of the forum's favourite relaxed, waistelength heads - Sylver2 who had a bad experience with a scissor happy stylist. She went to the salon for a 2-3 inch trim and left with a 4-5 inch cut and is now between brastrap length (bsl) and midback length (mbl). So sad, but I think we can all take a lesson from this. It doesn't have to be about trims, it could be the way they are overlapping relaxers or combing your hair.

It's all very well and good to have a stylist or friend help you with your hair. But if they are also hindering your hair growth and health in some way, you need to speak up. If they don't listen, then thank them for their services and move on.


5. Consistency is Key!

I think this one speaks for itself. If you know something works for you. Stick to it!


Well there you have it. What did 2009 teach you?